Streaming platform, Eros Now, just released the trailer for its first original film, Meri Nimmo! Love comes in different forms, with age as a barrier being completely disregarded! Singing this song, Eros’s first film features Anjali Patil (Newton fame) in the lead along with a younger boy, Dave, as the protagonist.

Aanand L Rai and Eros International – the team has delivered several memorable films in the past… Now bring #MeriNimmo… An Eros Now original film… Streaming from 27 April 2018. pic.twitter.com/yEg0wLLOQp

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) April 23, 2018

The protagonist, an eight year old played by Karan Davem, is friends with Nimmo (Patil.) However, after being egged on by his friend, he soon starts believing that they are in love. When Nimmo gets engaged, Dave’s character predictably lashes out and then plans to woo her. Watch the trailer here!

While Dave is adorable as the young boy in love, most of the scenes in the trailer are stolen by his friend/instigator. With just the right prompts (“Kya kar liya tumne? Kya kar loge?”,) he pushes the protagonist into acting on his feelings. Directed by Rahul Shanklya and co produced by Aanand L. Rai, Meri Nimmo is going to be live streamed on Eros Now on 27 April, 2018!

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Nanu Ki Jaanu Cast: Abhay Deol, Patralekhaa, Rajesh Sharma and Himani Shivpuri
Nanu Ki Jaanu Director: Faraz Haider
mango Bollywood Rating: 1.5 star (out of 5)

Nanu Ki Jaanu sees the death of two much loved Bollywood themes: horror and comedy. With this movie, Faraz Haider has shown us he really doesn’t have a great respect for the audience (at least that’s what it looks like.) The film muddles through an extremely bizarre story. A girl (Patralekha,) who dies on the side of a road, is saved by a random conman (Deol.)

The said girl then conveniently turns into a ghost and ends up haunting Deol’s house by taking up residence in the chimney (why even.) The film explores Deol’s struggles of being a murderous conman and thanks to seeing death first hand, realises the after effects of a con gone wrong. The ghost in the film is out to find and take revenge on the person who killed her. However, while the reason is obvious, what fails to make the mark is why we as an audience should care at all.

Nanu Ki Jaanu is a sloppy remake of the 2014 Tamil hit film, Pisaasu. Right from the very word go, due acknowledgement is apportioned to Bala and Mysskin, the producer and director respectively of the original production. This version is no comparison in any which way. Screenwriter Manu Rishi Chadha, who also plays the property shark’s principal accomplice, takes liberties with the plot details. In Pisaasu, the hero is a violinist left holding the dead girl’s slipper; in Nanu Ki Jaanu, he is an extortionist who uses threats and subterfuge to con people out of their houses and is saddled with the accident victim’s necklace. That does no good.

Apart from the goons scurrying aimlessly about, we get a pretty ghost in moony pursuit of a conman, a worried mother, a grieving father with a yen for ice slabs being put to eye popping use, and flat owners who glug beer on the sly. While the promotions and the posters gave the film an interesting approach, Nanu Ki Jaanu just failed to stick.

Deol was a sore disappointment. Patralekha, who showed much promise in the film City Lights, deserved better. The only person who broke free from the shackles of expectations was  Manu Rishi, with his tu jaanta nahin hai main kaun hoon comments. However, after two iterations, even that becomes tiresome. Watch this movie if you have absolutely nothing to do!

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Beyond The Clouds Cast: Ishaan Khatter, Malavika Mohanan, Gautam Ghose, Tannishtha Chatterjee
Beyond The Clouds Director: Majid Majidi
mango Bollywood Rating: 3 Stars (out of 5)

Iranian director, Majid Majidi realised very soon there was a strong need to bridge the gap between realism and Bollywood drama. With Beyond The Clouds, Majidi tries doing just that. However, this movie just failed to create the connection it was desperately trying to make.

The film tells the story of a boy and his elder sister battling daunting odds. It is left to two Bollywood newbies, Ishaan Khatter and Malavika Mohanan, to do the heavy lifting. The duo puffs and pants through the ordeal, giving an insight into a world of emotions ranging from anger, grief, remorse, resolve to repugnance.

Despite the poor attempts at bridging the gap, Beyond The Clouds shows the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister. The film tells the story of a boy and his elder sister battling daunting odds. Amir (Ishaan Khatter,) a small time drug peddler, has been brought up by Tara (Malavika Mohanan) after the death of his parents. Tara appears to be Amir’s foster sister rather than his biological one (the movie addresses the apparent difference in religion.)

Throughout the movie, with the depiction of the Mumbain slums and the stark foreign elements of poverty give one a feeling of watching a movie similar to Slum Dog Millionaire and Children of Heaven. However, what makes this particular film stand out is the brutal touches to realism, the abject poverty and the struggles an ordinary man faces. While it may not have been the film we all expected, it certainly has given us more than enough food for thought. Watch if you need a break from the pretences of our world!

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Priyanka Chopra has been doing a lot of good lately, not just in Bollywood, but in Hollywood as well. Her second venture in Hollywood, A Kid Like Jake, has been getting just the right kind of attention since its inception. After a prolonged wait, the movie’s trailer is finally out and it will get you all choked up.

I’m so excited to show you all the official trailer for #AKidLikeJake…with brilliant performances by my colleagues. This is a timely story about acceptance and truly seeing your loved ones as they are. In select theaters June 1st!  Watch the trailer: https://t.co/nWSalWGe1n

— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) April 13, 2018

The heart warming trailer tells the story of parents trying to get their four year old kid admitted to kindergarten. They are in for a massive surprise when they realise their son is obsessed with fairy tales and everything to do with magic. While Priyanka Chopra has a blink and miss appearance in the film, we know for a fact that she has a major role to play in the story as a whole! Watch the trailer here.

Directed by Silas Howard, A Kid Like Jake also stars Jim Parsons, Claire Danes, Octavia Spencer and Ann Dowd in key roles. Co produced by Jim Parsons, Todd Spiewak, Rachel Xiaowen, Eric Norsoph and Paul Bernon, the film is scheduled to hit the screens on 8 June, 2018.

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October Cast: Varun Dhawan, Banita Sandhu
October Director: Shoojit Sircar
mango Bollywood Rating: 4/5

Shoojit Sircar’s October talks about love, with a very special touch. The word October is more than just a month for this film. Covering a life time of emotions, this movie makes you feel sorrow, pain, longing and then leaves you blank towards the end. The minute the movie starts, you question reality at its foundation and realise October is more your story than just a movie.

Dan (Varun Dhawan) is a rebellious hotel manager while Shiuli (Banita Sandhu,) is a trainee at the same hotel. Despite working at the same place, their interactions are few to nonexistent. Dan’s carefree attitude revolves around his friends and co workers. By a mere chance of coincidences, Shiuli and Dan are thrown together.

Like everybody else, Dan is also concerned about her well being. The only difference is he can’t move on with life like the others. All seasons of his life get stuck during that particular month of October. Calling October a love story is only doing injustice to its subtle undertones. This movie is about the little things in life which make you value the bigger aspects of your day to day routine.

Banita Sandhu plays the role of a girl suffering from a serious health condition. While it was commendable for her to play such a daunting role in her first film, she still leaves a strong mark with her brilliant performance. As a director, Shoojit Sircar breathes life with supreme ease into the movie. With every part of the story unfolding, you feel like you are a part of the film rather than being a spectator.

Incidentally, October is not devoid of comic relief either. The scene at the hospital between Dan and Shiuli, where they acknowledge their relationship in their own indescribable way, is skillfully written and enacted. It throbs with emotion and makes you break into a smile.

In love and relationships, more often than not, a lot is not said and defined. October is made up of these things which words cannot describe. The characters, the melancholic beautiful music and the gorgeous scenery make the movie worth the watch.  The fragrant memory of Shiuli (the Bengali name for Night Jasmine) and Dan’s unconditional story will linger long after. If you’re starting a love story from scratch, October is the perfect film for you.

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